This investigation explores relations between 1) a theory of human cognition, called Embodied Cognition, 2) the design of interactive systems and 3) the practice of ‘creative group meetings’ (of which the so-called ‘brainstorm’ is perhaps the best-known example). The investigation is one of Research-through-Design (Overbeeke et al., 2006). This means that, together with students and external stakeholders, I designed two interactive prototypes. Both systems contain a ‘mix’ of both physical and digital forms. Both are designed to be tools in creative meeting sessions, or brainstorms. The tools are meant to form a natural, element in the physical meeting space. The function of these devices is to support the formation of shared insight: that is, the tools should support the process by which participants together, during the activity, get a better grip on the design challenge that they are faced with. Over a series of iterations I reflected on the design process and outcome, and investigated how users interacted with the prototypes.
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Feedback is one of the most powerful tools teachers can use to enhance student learning. In 2006, the Dutch Inspectorate of Education concluded from classroom observations that it is difficult for Dutch teachers to give their students good feedback in order to stimulate students' learning process and developmental progress. Similar problems were revealed in other school levels and countries, for example in secondary education and in Finland. Giving feedback during active learning may be even more troublesome for teachers. During active learning, students are working in small groups on different learning goals and undertake different learning activities at the same time. They need to achieve task-related goals as well as to develop the meta-cognitive knowledge and skills that are needed for active learning. Yet, teachers often seem unable to provide the feedback that is needed and they do not know how to support the development of meta-cognitive knowledge and skills.Therefore, this research project focused on ways to improve primary school teachers' feedback giving practices during active learning. The central research question is: How can primary school teachers learn to give optimal feedback to pupils during active learning? To answer this question, five studies have been conducted. In the first study, knowledge regarding teachers' feedback practices was gathered. A category system was developed based on the literature and empirical data. A total of 1465 teacher-student interactions of 32 teachers who practiced active learning in the domain of environmental studies in the sixth, seventh or eighth grade of 13 Dutch primary schools were videotaped and assessed using this system. Results showed that about half of the teacher-student interactions contained feedback. This feedback was usually focused on the tasks that were being performed by the students and on the ways in which these tasks were processed. Only 5% of the feedback was explicitly related to a learning goal. In their feedback, the teachers were directing (rather than facilitating) the learning processes. During active learning, however, feedback on meta-cognition and social learning is important. Feedback should be explicitly related to learning goals. In practice, these kinds of feedback appear to be scarce. In the second study, the problems these 32 primary school teachers perceive and the beliefs they hold regarding the provision of feedback were investigated. A writing task and an interview were conducted. It appeared that teachers believed that conditional teacher skills, especially time management, hindered them most from giving good feedback. The most widely held belief was that 'feedback should be positive'. Teachers also believed that it is important to adopt a facilitative way of giving feedback, but they found this difficult to implement. Only some teachers believed goal-directedness and a focus on student meta-cognition were important during active learning and teachers did not perceive problems regarding these aspects. In the third study, a professional development program (PDP) was developed, implemented and evaluated. The goals and content of the PDP were based on a review of the literature regarding feedback and active learning and on the results of the preceding studies. The design of the PDP was based on the extant literature regarding the features which are considered to be important for PDPs, including structural features, goal setting and characteristics of the professional development activities that are part of the program. Effects of this PDP on 16 primary schoolteachers' knowledge, beliefs, perceived problems and classroom behavior were examined via observations, a writing task and a questionnaire prior and twice after the program was implemented. Results showed that several aspects of feedback during active learning were improved, both in the short and in the long term. For example, teachers learned to believe that feedback must be goal-directed and that learning goals need to be communicated to students. In the classrooms, teachers related their feedback more often explicitly to the learning goals. In the fourth study, the extent to which teachers attributed the success of the PDP to each of the purposefully implemented features of the PDP was examined. The 16 teachers that participated in the PDP completed a questionnaire and four focus group interviews were conducted. Results indicated that teachers value most features quite highly; all features contributed to teachers' professional development according to the teachers themselves. The qualitative data was used to illustrate and specify the theoretical knowledge regarding the features that appeared to be effective in PDP's. Finally, in the fifth study, the learning process of two of the participating teachers was described in detail. Written reflections, as well as videotaped reflections during the video interaction training meetings were analyzed and related to the effects of the PDP on both teachers' knowledge, beliefs, perceived problems and classroom behavior during te course of the PDP. By relating the learning processes of these two teachers to the literature regarding professional development, we aimed for a rich understanding of the impact of the PDP on teachers' professional development.
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The pervasiveness of wearable technology has opened the market for products that analyse running biomechanics and provide feedback to the user. To improve running technique feedback should target specific running biomechanical key points and promote an external focus. Aim for this study was to define and empirically test tailored feedback requirements for optimal motor learning in four consumer available running wearables. First, based on desk research and observations of coaches, a screening protocol was developed. Second, four wearables were tested according to the protocol. Third, results were reviewed, and four experts identified future requirements. Testing and reviewing the selected wearables with the protocol revealed that only two less relevant running biomechanical key points were measured. Provided feedback promotes an external focus of the user. Tailoring was absent in all wearables. These findings indicate that consumer available running wearables have a potential for optimal motor learning but need improvements as well.
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Physical rehabilitation programs revolve around the repetitive execution of exercises since it has been proven to lead to better rehabilitation results. Although beginning the motor (re)learning process early is paramount to obtain good recovery outcomes, patients do not normally see/experience any short-term improvement, which has a toll on their motivation. Therefore, patients find it difficult to stay engaged in seemingly mundane exercises, not only in terms of adhering to the rehabilitation program, but also in terms of proper execution of the movements. One way in which this motivation problem has been tackled is to employ games in the rehabilitation process. These games are designed to reward patients for performing the exercises correctly or regularly. The rewards can take many forms, for instance providing an experience that is engaging (fun), one that is aesthetically pleasing (appealing visual and aural feedback), or one that employs gamification elements such as points, badges, or achievements. However, even though some of these serious game systems are designed together with physiotherapists and with the patients’ needs in mind, many of them end up not being used consistently during physical rehabilitation past the first few sessions (i.e. novelty effect). Thus, in this project, we aim to 1) Identify, by means of literature reviews, focus groups, and interviews with the involved stakeholders, why this is happening, 2) Develop a set of guidelines for the successful deployment of serious games for rehabilitation, and 3) Develop an initial implementation process and ideas for potential serious games. In a follow-up application, we intend to build on this knowledge and apply it in the design of a (set of) serious game for rehabilitation to be deployed at one of the partners centers and conduct a longitudinal evaluation to measure the success of the application of the deployment guidelines.
This project aims to enhance museum experiences through value-driven design of a personalized, interactive AI-powered guide providing tailored information in real-time. Museums often rely on human guides for detailed content, but these services are typically limited to group tours. Audio guides are the common alternative for individual visitors, but they deliver standardized content that doesn't adapt to personal interests, creating a gap in the visitor experience. Additionally, creating content for traditional audio guides is expensive for museums to develop and maintain. Research shows that museum visitors increasingly desire more control over how they interact with exhibits, preferring information that aligns with their personal interests rather than generalized content. Simultaneously, museums are eager to meet this demand by offering more personalized engagement, making visitor experiences more relevant and impactful. In collaboration with Stedelijk Museum Breda and Brabant Cloud, creative professionals will co-design an app that acts as a personal digital guide, adapting its responses to each visitor's preferences. The app will use the museum's existing digital collection infrastructure to deliver customized interaction better connected to visitors' needs, interests, and linguistic abilities. The design approach emphasizes inclusivity and non-discrimination, ensuring accessible experiences for diverse audiences while aligning with the museum's educational objectives. We will test the app at Stedelijk Museum Breda, gathering feedback from three visitor groups and comparing experiences between (1) those using the AI-powered app, (2) those not using the app, and (3) those with a human guide. We anticipate that this creative industries solution will facilitate more engaging and customized experiences while providing a scalable model that could benefit other cultural institutions through Brabant Cloud's regional network.
Brandweermensen lopen het meeste gevaar als ze onder tijdsdruk een gebouw moeten verkennen, of een brand moeten blussen terwijl de situatie nog niet goed kan worden overzien. Omvallende muren, instortende plafonds of gewoon gestruikeld over door de rook onzichtbare brokstukken leiden tot vermijdbare letsels of zelfs slachtoffers. Met name de inzet bij branden in stedelijke parkeergarages onder woontorens vormen een enorm risico. Het inzetten van onbemande, op afstand bestuurbare voertuigen voor verkenning en bluswerk is een oplossing die binnen de brandweer breed wordt gedragen. De brandweer moet deze innovatieve technologie echter zien te omarmen. Zij werken nu vanuit hun intuïtie en weten direct hoe te acteren op basis van wat zij waarnemen. Praktijkgericht onderzoek heeft echter uitgewezen dat scepsis over de inzet van blusplatforms bij incidenten plaats heeft gemaakt voor zeker vertrouwen. Een blusplatform, voorzien van juiste sensoren kan de Officier van Dienst (OVD) ondersteunen bij het nemen van een beslissing om al dan niet tot een ‘aanval’ over te gaan. Praktijktesten hebben echter laten zien dat de huidige blusplatforms nog niet optimaal functioneren om als volwaardig ‘teamlid’ te kunnen worden ingezet. Dit heeft enerzijds met technologische ontwikkelingen (sensoren en communicatieverbindingen) te maken, maar anderzijds moet de informatievoorziening (human-machine interfacing) naar de brandweer beter worden afgestemd. In dit project gaan Saxion, het instituut fysieke veiligheid, de universiteit Twente, het bedrijfsleven en vijf veiligheidsregio’s onderzoeken hoe en wanneer innovatieve blusplatforms op een intuïtieve manier kunnen worden ingezet door training én (kleine) productaanpassing zodat deze een volwaardig onderdeel kunnen zijn van het brandweerkorps. Een blusplatform kan letselschade en slachtoffers voorkomen, mits goed ingezet en vertrouwd door de mensen die daarvan afhankelijk zijn. Het vak van brandweer, als beroeps of vrijwilliger, is een van de gevaarlijkste die er is. Laten we er samen voor zorgen dat het iets veiliger kan worden.
